Search results for: Student experience

The current study explored the influence of a university-based student teaching program in rural East Africa on the beliefs of four preservice teacher participants. In conclusion, this article has presented the perspectives of four participants who student-taught in East Africa for 8 weeks as part of their student teaching requirement at a Western university. Each of the participants had unique and valuable experiences that shaped the ways in which he or she worked to become an educator in a rural East African community. The authors argue that the program shaped the participants' beliefs about teaching and continues to be an experience they reflect on in their lives.

This paper introduces an innovative form of assessment for graduate students that is comprehensive, constructive and deeply reflective. Throughout their final semester, students were invited to synthesize and critically and thoughtfully reflect on their learning, to engage in self-assessment, and to take an active role in the conceptualization and design of their Capstone presentations. This product was used as both a personal and professional learning tool, as well as a means of program assessment for faculty.

The paper will present a case study that investigates the experience of student teachers who simultaneously experience the role of the learner, who requires self-direction, and the role of the teacher, who expands his tool kit so that his students will become self-directed learners. The case study is based on an experiment conducted with students studying for a master’s degree in teaching the sciences. The analysis shows a gap between the recognition of the importance of self-direction in learning and its expression with regard to them as learners and teachers. From the analysis it emerges that most of the participants did not perceive the process of cultivating self-direction in their students as part of their role. The course directed them to a different kind of encounter with their students, and in the process, they identified difficulty in their own self-direction in the learning process.

The main focus of this research was to assess the impact of a mentoring scheme in facilitating integration amongst first-year international students who come from different ethnic, cultural, sociocultural and socio-economic backgrounds so that they become effective learners. The findings indicated that international students suffer from acute disorientation in their new institution. They find the new academic and social culture daunting. The author concludes that the lessons learned from it together with many of the suggestions which emerged from the focus group discussions, are included in the current mentoring scheme. The success of the mentoring scheme facilitated the transition of first-year international students, encouraged a sense of community and actually created a community amongst the international student cohort.